With now just 5 games remaining of the league season, things are certainly being finalised at either end of the table, with the league all-but done, and 2 teams now confirmed in their relegation from this season. With most of the drama coming from the mid-table places, it’s been a big weekend of action as the European places heat up and celebrations and rebuilds can begin at the top and bottom of the standings.

As always, in this post we will be picking out 3 of the biggest talking points of the weekend, along with giving out the game of the week and player of the week awards. If we’ve missed something in this post that you saw over the weekend please do get in touch with us on all the usual places (Bluesky @NextGoalWinner – Instagram @NextGoalWin), and if you prefer an audio round up of the action then do check out our YouTube channel (@NextGoalWinner) where we post weekly reviews on there of all the key talking points in the Premier League and around Europe.

1 To Go

​Liverpool took a decisive step towards clinching their 20th league title with a narrow 1-0 victory over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Sunday. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s precise free-kick in the second half secured the win, extending the Reds’ lead at the top of the Premier League table. With this result, Liverpool are now just one win away from confirming their status as champions, potentially sealing the title in their upcoming match against Tottenham Hotspur. The team plans to watch Arsenal’s next game against Crystal Palace together, as a loss for Arsenal would crown Liverpool champions without them playing another match.

Alexander-Arnold’s match-winning performance against Leicester comes at a time when his future at Liverpool is under scrutiny. Despite the speculation, his contribution on the pitch remains invaluable. Captain Virgil van Dijk emphasized Alexander-Arnold’s importance to the team, stating that he will be fondly remembered by fans if he decides to depart. As Liverpool edge closer to the title, the focus remains on securing the futures of their key players to maintain the team’s strength in the coming seasons.

Total Embarrassment

Those were the words of Leicester City captain Jamie Vardy following the defeat to Liverpool, which sees Leicester join Southampton in their confirmed relegation back to the Championship after their promotion last campaign. With Maresca, Cooper and Van Nistelrooy all having a say in leading Leicester this season, it was always going to be a challenge given the loss of their talismanic leader Maresca who last season led the charge for Leicester’s return to the top-flight.

With 5 games left to play, questions swirl around the future of Leicester City, as there is a feeling of certainty that manager Ruud van Nistelrooy will leave the club, meaning a big rebuild job is on the cards. There are frustrations around the leadership structure who have seemingly failed to communicate with fans despite the poor showing this season. While the likes of Vardy have come out and spoken after the game, the failure to have a shot on target and failure to score yet again, suggests that a complete overhaul is needed, and that the squad and club are not yet in a place to be considered a Premier League regular, although many would likely expect a quick return if they can have a productive summer.

European Places

With the league title all-but wrapped up, and 2 of the 3 relegation places confirmed, with Ipswich more than likely to join them next weekend, the focus remains now on the European places. With 5 Champions League spots confirmed, and a potential for English sides to win all 3 European trophies this year, we could see up to 8th place in the league being a European qualification position.

As a result of this potential for many clubs to reach Europe next season, this weekend could be pivotal, as Brentford picked up a key win over Brighton, Bournemouth dropped points away at Crystal Palace, Aston Villa dominated a Newcastle side on a decent run of form, Chelsea beat Fulham and Nottingham Forest picked up 3 points away at Spurs.

With all of these results, it’s Liverpool, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United and Manchester City poised for Champions League football next season, with Chelsea in the only confirmed Europa League place and Aston Villa sitting in what would be Europa Conference League position. With a potential Europa League spot to open up given the winner of the FA Cup, and Manchester United and Tottenham in the last 4 of the Europa League, and Chelsea in the last 4 of the Conference League, those in the chasing pack from 8th-12th will be keeping an eye on all the results as the season concludes.

Game of the week: Brentford 4-2 Brighton & Hove Albion With Brentford pushing their way into the European contention, they did so in style as they battled with a Brighton side lacking in form as their up and down first capaign under Hurzeler continues. With Mbuemo and Wissa once again showing their quality, there was 6 goals and a red card to enjoy in this clash from Saturday.

Player of the week: Bryan Mbuemo Staying in Brentford, Mbuemo had another quality performance, as he bagged 2 goals and an assist, while also completing the most dribbles (4), creating the most chances (7), being the most fouled player (4) and winning the most duels (22). A perfect showing which may well see more eyes on the forward come the summer transfer window.